Bangalore Buzz: Bookstores, Malls, People, Luxuries, Weather...

chillibreeze writer — KC Komal
(taken from our Expat Newsletter: Bangalore Breeze)

Here are a few first impressions as we explore the town.

Bookstores:

Gorgeous, spacious B and N type stores. Everything under the sun and more for adults, thanks to getting not only US books, but Brit, Oz and tons of Indian writing. The kid’s section (once you get past the stacks and stacks of nostalgia inducing Enid Blytons and Tintins) is disappointing. The popular series are ubiquitous, Mary Kate and Ashley and Goosebumps are on every shelf, but I see very little good contemporary fiction. Guess the kids will be well versed with good old Brit classics by the time we return. Charles Dickens, here we come. (Plenty of good non-fiction though, and my little scientist is pleased.)

Malls:

American wannabees mushrooming all over town. Enter and but for the large numbers of Indians you could be anywhere (but wait, you could say that of the Bay area malls too). It’s Nike, Reebok, and KFC everywhere. A bit disappointing for me, because I was yearning for ethnic chic, but I guess I will have to track those stores down. The food court though was a vegetarian’s dream come true. Even sushi restaurants have a huge vegetarian selection and I don’t have to go into my usual litany of no fish, no chicken. So far we have eaten at all kinds of places, and by playing it safe with water and salads, have avoided the dreaded tummy bugs.

People:

Getting used to the lack of courtesy urban India seems to have adopted. Smiling is a lost art, and my cheery grins are taking several surly shop keepers aback. Undeterred I shall persevere, perhaps setting a new trend. Meanwhile it's sure getting me prompt service and attention.

Weather:

Perhaps we boarded the wrong flight and landed up in the sceptred isle? Variable as a summer's day is a phrase that has come to mind several times lately. We wake up to sunny skies, by mid morning we are nodding knowingly at each other and thinking, "Aha! See, it is warming up at last" and of course that makes the clouds come tumbling in, and minutes later we are scurrying for cover while raindrops the size of grapes pelt us. As we drive past the easily flooded roads, (with kids oohing and aahing at the wake our car leaves behind us) we see a strong breeze drying the city out. Holding on to our hats we see the sun come out again just in time to go to our flat and go swimming.

Luxuries:

Breakfast brought to the table, where it is served as we sit (at least as long as we are in the furnished apartment) clothes laundered, dried, ironed and miraculously reappearing everyday, a driver (we hired a taxi for a month till we find our own driver) although he already has me at the end of my tether, as he listens in and contributes to every conversation in the car and the best part, dinner where two men wait on us, bringing us hot chapattis as we eat....

The not so good part:

Although the traffic has not been as bad as we expected, the roads are in terrible shape. The road to school exists in name alone, and every day a new pot hole appears. People push and shove with absolutely no concept of personal space. Mosquitoes on steroids, each singling me out with a personal vengeance. And last but certainly not least wet and reeking public toilets....need I say more.

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—About our writer:

"KC refuses to limit herself to one label. Among the many hats she wears are: Full time mom, part time writer, teacher, chef, art collector, gardener, quilter and extremely good vacationer. She has lived in Northern California for close to 20 years and has spent most of those years stopping frequently to smell the roses and plant some lavender. After two decades in Silicon Valley her husband will be working from Bangalore. KC has two children, a 12 year old daughter and an 8 year old son.